


Tea & Semlor

by Dressiestsphinx



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Brigitte thinks she's terrible at making semlors, Brigitte's sensitive to extreme violence, But I got invested in making this request perfect, Didn't mean to ship them, F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr request that I finally finished after five months, hope you like it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 05:54:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15479082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dressiestsphinx/pseuds/Dressiestsphinx
Summary: If anything, Brigitte Lindholm was not expecting to run into anyone in the kitchen at three in the morning.





	Tea & Semlor

**Author's Note:**

> It took me five months to finally finish this up. Requested by @retrohardtt over on Tumblr.

If anything, Brigitte Lindholm was not expecting to run into anyone in the kitchen at three in the morning. After what they went through this entire week, she doubted any of her new team members had the strength to get up for a late morning snack. She should be asleep too and she never thought of herself as a night owl, but the promise of a warm, homemade selmor to comfort her won her over.

There was something about eating selmors that comforted Brigitte during the bad times. Perhaps she got it from her mother, who made a tray of selmors for Angela, Reinhardt, and her father to enjoy during her father’s recovery when she was still pregnant with her. Perhaps she loved them because her mother made them for her when she sensed that her daughter missed her father when he was away in Overwatch. Perhaps she just loved her mother’s baking. It was better than her own baking, according to her friends and family’s reaction. She made her first batch for Reinhardt during her travels with him and he kindly told her to not overdo it with the almond paste next time. She made a second batch for her family last Christmas, but her older siblings and father preferred their mother’s tray. Her mother did cheer her up and offered to give a handwritten recipe of her selmors to her, but their time was cut short when Reinhardt got the call from Overwatch.

_Overwatch._

Brigitte shook her head and rounded the corner; her fuzzy slippers carried her past the rooms of her new teammates and her long robe followed behind her quick but quiet strides. Even if her selmors may not be the best, she would rather have her mind focus on measuring the ingredients and enjoying the final product than think about their latest mission.

If anything, Brigitte Lindholm was not expecting to run into anyone in the kitchen at three in the morning. After what they went through this entire week, she doubted any of her new team members had the strength to get up for a late morning snack.

But there he was; a fully-dressed Hanzo Shimada near the stove with a kettle in hand and a few tea boxes lining the countertop beside him. He looked up at her, surprised as she was, before giving her a small nod as he set the kettle on top of the burner plate. She quietly walked in and headed straight for the cabinets, pulling out only the essentials and taking a few small glances at the other presence. She didn’t even respond to his small nod or greet him in any way.

It wasn’t like Brigitte was shy around anyone; her father and godfather had fans in the past and those fans admired a child surrounded by living legends. She didn’t have a problem interacting with the team, whether they were old or new faces. She just didn’t know what to think about the man that nearly murdered his own brother.

Her father didn’t trust him and the older members of Overwatch agreed, but Genji stated that their problems have been dealt with and it will take his brother some time to fully interact. While the others stayed far from him, Genji, Reinhardt, Mercy and Zenyatta made sure that he felt welcome. Angela told Brigitte that it was frightening to be in his presence, but Genji had made sure that his love and his brother were going to be alright.

_“He’s not that bad, Brigitte. Believe me,” Angela told her as she checked Brigitte’s injuries after the mission. “He’s more than what he would like to show.”_

Brigitte paused as she gently placed her ingredients before her on the kitchen island. She gritted her teeth as Angela’s words and the look that Angela gave her echoed in her mind. Angela and Brigitte knew what had happened and what would have happened if he wasn’t there. She knew that her father and Reinhardt were right when they scolded her for breaking apart from the group, but they weren’t there. She leaned on the kitchen table and closed her eyes; she does not want to remember the details of their mission, but if she must, she will just remember how this man saved her life.

~~~~~

_A squad of Talon troopers searched the village area of Nepal and she was the unfortunate one that they were after. She cursed at herself as she heard their heavy footsteps below the floor level of a home that she was hiding in. She knew that she messed up when she ignored Reinhardt’s commands after she spotted and pursued a lone trooper._

_She wasn’t expecting to barricade herself in an empty room with no way to block the door._

_She was expecting it to be an easy takedown and she was hoping to capture them for interrogation, but it never crossed her mind that the trooper wasn’t alone. She barely dodged their bullets, but they managed to graze her arm. Instead of running back to her team and the villagers in the sanctum, she made them follow her into the abandoned village area._

_She may have been injured and alone, but she was willing to lead them all to her than to the others._

_One casualty that had it coming was better than one-hundred casualties that could have been prevented._

_Reinhardt’s words rung in her ears about making the ultimate sacrifice one day, but Brigitte wished that she didn’t have to make it so soon. She should die with her dignity, but she was still so young and she promised herself that she would make it out alive for everyone. She promised her loved ones that she would be okay and Reinhardt would be looked after. She promised that she would bring gifts next Christmas for her nieces and nephews._

_She promised Mama that her selmors would be better next time she sees her again._

_En vacker sista vers. That’s what she would say if she knew what would happen to her daughter next._

_It just wasn’t fair…_

_That’s when she heard a struggle below, her pursuers’ frantic voices and panicked footsteps reached her ears._

_Had her team come to aid her? No, they wouldn’t abandon the villagers by themselves just to save her._

_Reinhardt? No, it couldn’t be him. She knew that if he left to save her, everyone would become exposed if the Talon soldiers breached the sanctum. They needed him for protection._

_Papa? No, he wouldn’t dare disobey an order like she just did. She knew he would save her, but not like this. Not alone, at least._

_Brigitte doesn’t know who’s trying to save her and she’s too lost in her thoughts to notice that the door opens to its own accord. She doesn’t react fast enough to notice the Talon agent standing in the open doorway with their gun aimed on her. Just when she thinks that her shield won’t form quick enough in front of her, the agent lets out a groan before falling face first. She watches with wide eyes to see an arrow sticking out from behind their back._

_Her eyes are trained on the dead body near her feet, until she feels someone gently grasp the hand that’s holding her flail. She doesn’t gasp and she doesn’t look up to see who it is. She knows who it is and she doesn’t know if she can stare into the eyes of a murderer, even if he did save her just now._

_“We must return back to the others. The rest of their forces have retreated like the cowards that they are. It’s safe to come back.”, Hanzo tells her in a calming voice. Perhaps he’s trying to comfort her with the scene before them, but Brigitte keeps her eyes trained on the body._

_She shouldn’t act like this._

_She knew that she would see people die in battle, something that was different from how Reinhardt and her handled the Dragons gang months ago. Even as a child, Reinhardt didn’t discuss the fate of the bad guys in his stories from Overwatch. It just seemed to happen so suddenly and the man with her didn’t seem fazed in the slightest._

_She felt her injured arm being lifted slightly to meet the man’s gaze._

_She dared not to move, but she tightened her grip on her flail and shield. If anything, she did not want to see the extent of the damage below them. It was already too much to know this man was holding her injured arm so gently and inspecting it._

_Perhaps she was expecting the moment when he would break it. They were alone, after all._

_That moment never came and his voice was still calm._

_“I must take you to Doctor Ziegler immediately, Lindholm. Your father and the others are worried sick back at the sanctum. It would be unwise to tempt their patience any longer.”_

_She nodded and she finally looked at him. She found her voice at last, although it was a small, firm whisper in the awkward silence._

_“I don’t want to go downstairs.”_

_He watches her for a few seconds before gently letting her injured arm go. He gives her a signal to stay where she is as he walks out the room. She stands there alone, listening to his soft footsteps against the wooden floor. She hears him give out a grunt as the sound of a door being forced open is picked up by her ears. Brigitte can only imagine the man’s annoyed face by her sensitivity when he comes back, but she’s surprised that he’s still calm._

_She gathers her flail and shield in one hand, but she’s stopped by Hanzo as he insists on holding onto her shield. She’s still in shock and she desperately wants to leave, so she gives him a nod. She lets him guide her out the door and she’s met with Nepal’s cold air once again; it does nothing to comfort her. She’s led down the shifty wooden stairs and she hasn’t noticed until she’s at the very last step that she’s tilting forward. Her vision goes black and all she remembers is Hanzo catching her before she hits the ground._

_~~~~~_

Brigitte is thankful that he came for her, even if he knew how she and Papa felt about him. She’s thankful that he cared enough to find another exit so that she wouldn’t see those dead bodies, even if they were the bad guys. She’s thankful that he carried her all the way back to the sanctum when she fainted, even if she was taller and had a heavier built than him.

She looks at her ingredients before her and she glances at Hanzo. He’s still engrossed in the task of preparing his tea from the looks of it and she’s sure that he won’t stay long enough unless she offers. She looks down at her healed arm and ponders. She bites her bottom lip gently and looks back at him.

_The least she could do was thank him, something that she couldn’t bring herself to do back then._

_But a simple ‘thank you’ didn’t seem appropriate at three in the morning. Perhaps he could have something with that tea that he’s making with such care..._

“Mr. Shimada, would you like a semlor?”, she asks suddenly. She must have caught him by surprise because he jumps slightly at her voice. He turns away from the stove and looks at her with calculating eyes. He looks at her and then at the ingredients. Her. The ingredients.

“I do not wish to give you any trouble, Lindholm.”, he says to her automatically.

“It wouldn’t be a problem at all.”, she cuts him off when she sees him about to argue. “I’d like to show you my appreciation about your help back in Nepal.”

He doesn’t try to argue and he nods his head at her. Brigitte finally starts making her semlors and she’s surprised when Hanzo offers to help her. She’s flattered, but she reminds him that his tea, something that he seemed to have forgotten despite the time he took to make it, is still on the stove. He busies himself with adding the finishing touches to it, while Brigitte quickly began to fill her spiced wheat buns with milk and almond paste. It’s quiet between them, save for the questions that they had about their tea and semlors. She finds out that he’s using tea leaves instead of the tea boxes because he didn’t think that he would enjoy them. She finds out that he’s making _sencha_. He said that he’s not a fan of sweets, but Brigitte can see him eyeing the whipped cream that she begins to top her finished semlors with. She gives him a small chuckle and a knowing look, leaving the older man to roll his eyes playfully at her.

“They’re ready, Mr. Shimada.”, she says as she places one semlor for each of them on separate plates. Her back is towards him as she sprinkles a small pinch of sugar for the both of them. She hears the stove being turned off and hears him pour some tea. When he passes into her view, she doesn’t expect him to set a steaming cup of _sencha_ tea in front of her. She looks down at it before looking at him with a small smile. He clears his throat as he sits down with his semlor and tea.

“I have heard from Dr. Ziegler that baked goods are best served with tea.”, he says to her. “I believe her.”

Brigitte nods as she and Hanzo simultaneously take a bite of their semlor. Brigitte frowns at her semlor as she chews.

_The almond paste is too much. The bun seems a bit hard. The milk isn’t the one that she’s used to. It’s another disast-_

“It’s perfect.”

She looks up at him mid-chew. He has a bit of whip cream on his upper lip and he’s getting ready to take another bite when he realizes that she’s staring at him. It seems like that she’s questioning him so he gestures to the semlor in his hand.

“Your semlor is delicious.” She’s still staring at him. He clears his throat. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Thank you.”, she says automatically and she means it with all her heart. Not just for saving her but also liking her semlors. He seems confused and Brigitte finds herself stammering an explanation. “It’s j-just that everyone’s n-not a big fan of t-them.”

“Oh.”, Hanzo says to her, nodding. “Such an unsophisticated taste that they must all have?”

“Kind of.” Brigitte laughs as she looks down at her semlor. Her face feels red and she doesn’t know if she’s flattered by his comment or if she’s foolish enough to think that no one would’ve liked her semlors.

_He said it was perfect._

She took a sip of her tea and she realizes that Hanzo is staring at her expectantly. She swallows her sip and it takes a lot in her to not close her eyes at how warm and soothing it is.

_“He’s not that bad…”_

_No, he isn’t. He saved her from a near death experience to harsh criticism about her cooking skills._

_Perhaps she was now overlooking his past to see the man that was having tea and semlor with her at this time. Perhaps she’s getting very sleepy and she’s not thinking straight. Perhaps it’s her finally taking the time to admire his handsome facial features that she lets those words slip out her mouth._

_“It’s perfect.”, she says to him more than the tea._

_Maybe he knows that she doesn’t mean just the tea, but he still smiles at her._

“Thank you.”, he says. Brigitte doesn’t know that he means for everything.

**Author's Note:**

> I need to start on the Anahardt request in my ask box. If you want me to write you something, go on over to my Tumblr to ask. I'll do any ship and any prompt.
> 
> En vacker sista vers - a beautiful last verse; A Swedish saying when someone will die or has died.


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